Epi Breads

Slow customer service. 12:30 and sold out of a sandwich? I agree with the bad customer service, not helpful whatsoever and face like a smacked arse!

TERRIBLE customer service!!! They actually inspired me to get a Unilocal account and write a review.
I usually go there because I like their bread and I used to get it every weekend. But the women working there always look pissed to help you and sound very rude. Is it so hard to find staff that would be happy to do their job?!!
I decided to not support them at all and my friends are going to do the same. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were closing down soon.

my husband always buys me croissants, macaroons and almond cookies and I have never been disappointed! so delicious everytime

How do you combine spotty customer service and excellent food? I guess 4-​stars would do it, mainly cause I only spend there 5 minutes at most, versus enjoying the food.
So: the food is excellent. I’ve mainly had their breads and pastries, and the pastries are simply amazing. I do not think I have ever had a yummier croissant in my life (with the exception of real French bakeries in Montréal). They are all delicious, but my all-​time favourite is the chocolate and almond croissant. Just unbearably good.
The service can be somewhat spotty — usually, the cashiers/​bakers are really nice, but the older lady (who I reckon is the owner) is quite moody. Sometimes she’s quite nice, at other times she’s super dismissive and unfriendly. That’s what taints the overall experience for me, but as I said, the pastries are excellent so I’ll led that one slip. But she for sure needs to check herself every once in a while.

I’ve been to Epi bread once, and I loved the croissants and bread I got there. It’s a bit of a hassle for parking, since it’s at a corner and they don’t have parking spots available. I had to park in the residential area and walk over.
After going around and trying other croissants elsewhere, I have to say that epi bread is my favourite place. The croissants have a super crispy and flaky outside and melt in your mouth inside that makes me really want to go get one now. I would suggest just getting the original. I tried the chocolate croissant and the croissant was good, but just a small piece of chocolate inside. Didn’t seem really worth it in the end.
I also got a loaf of bread from there. I think I got walnut cranberry. It tasted so fresh and was chewy at the same time. Went so good with soup, or lightly toasted.
I tried one of the fruit tarts as well. I wasn’t very fond of it. The pastry wasn’t as flaky as I hoped it would be.
I would definitely go back, but only to get croissants and bread.

Epi has become my favourite bakery!
Our current faves here are:
Cheese Boule… a wonderful sourdough round loaf loaded with cheese inside and out… so deliciously cheesy! If you want to be sure to get one, call ahead the day before and order, as they usually sell out early.
Croissants… everyone has their favourite type and texture, these are mine. A beautiful golden crispy, flaky crust on the outside, and tender, and melt in your mouth on the inside. And a decent size, and still, you will want more than one, they are that delicious!
Carrot cake… an incredibly moist carrot cake topped with the best cream cheese icing I have ever tasted… none of that icing sugar taste, nor does it taste just like cream cheese the way so many do and not too sweet but just sweet enough. You can buy a slice or an entire loaf… I only bought a slice, I will be back for a loaf to share with friends!
Lemon tarts… if you like lemon desserts, these are the best… they come in small individual sized tars, which are quite large for a single serving, or a full size tart, perfect for serving to guests. The lemon filling has an almost cloudy, creamy look which made me skeptical, but the flavour is all lemon, nicely tart and sour, but enough sweet to balance it out. The crust is a cookie type crust that stays crisp. The meringue is a lovely touch and not too sweet.
They have so many prepared foods, baked items, breads, buns, cookies, brownies, an interesting blend of French style and Canadian treats… hands down, my favourite bakery these days!

Breads are amazing (Spelt, Sourdough, etc.). The prepared foods are also very good (especially the Shepherd’s Pie). Lastly the carrot loaf is a huge favourite with my family! Thus far, I haven’t had anything that wasn’t great (although I agree with one of the reviews that the cookies are too crunchy).

The rye bread here is amazing — it’s the best I could find in the area. They bake it on Fridays and Saturdays and they usually run out by late morning.

This bakery not only sells baked goods, but they have frozen items to sell such as frozen pasta, dips/​sauces, etc
FOOD:
–Butter croissant: this was really buttery! It was very soft on the inside. This is a a decent bakery for good butter croissants.
–I got their artichoke dip and it was good. They sell dips in their frozen section of the bakery.
Overall, I like this place and I would return for their croissants. I will also try the other baked goods the next time I come.

To lead with some nonsense: I don’t know why Epi Breads is called Epi. It makes me think of an epipen, and then throws me off my bakery game.
Perhaps the root comes from epicurean?
In which case, well… well-​played, Epi Breads.
*start of actual review*
There is a broad selection of bread, baked goods, and even prepared sandwiches at Epi Breads (there is a small seating area so you can nom immediately in a civilized way, and not out on the street corner). But here I play a focused game, a one-​two punch of: scones and ginger snaps.
I think the scones at Epi Breads are the best in the city. I particularly like the mixed berry; they aren’t too sweet and have the full flavour and slight tang of fresh berries baked right in.
I’ve started having to play a game with myself: I am *only allowed to stop at Epi if there is a parking spot directly in front of the bakery*. My waistband appreciates that this doesn’t happen all that regularly, but I always pick up scones for breakfast-​in-​bed settings, Mothers’ Day, and carb-​y pick-​me-​ups.
Unilocal note: despite my endless praise for their baked offerings, I am not a fan of their coffee options… money better spent on MOAR SCONES! Also worth noting: early bird gets the bread: they can sell out of things, so skew early, friends!

Oh saweet Jebus! I made the mistake of trying their carrot cake with cream cheese icing. I am now comatose and stopping myself from reaching for more. Must. Not. Eat. Whole. Loaf.

I go to Leslieville Cheese and EPI supplies the bread/​croissants for the store.
They have the best croissants I’ve tried to date. Every Saturday morning I wait as they open in order to get a handful of croissants. They are amazing.
I’ve tried the sour dour, baguettes and chocolate croissants and they are all awesome.

I bought some croissants there, and I loved them. They were buttery and crispy!

What can I say about Epi Breads, except that I’m in love with it? They make the BEST chocolate chip oatmeal cookie I’ve ever had to date, with huge chunks of chocolate inside. Their shortbread is also amazing, and they have three different kinds (pecan, chocolate and cranberry)
I also tried many of their breads, and their croissants, rolls and breads are delicious. They have a selection of loose leaf teas as well.
My one tip would be to try to go early! Things tend to sell out by the end of the day!

I am such a weakness when I step into a European Bakery… when I see all those big, chubby, doughy bread all on display. I want to smell them and just could not decide which one to get!
Epi Breads… I can smell those oh so fresh oh so carbs oh so soft oh so textured bread when I step inside the store…
All Butter Croissants ($ 2.10)
— Quite Flaky and Buttery outside
— Soft and Doughy inside…
I have to come back and try the other offerings, which looks mighty interesting…

I can’t say that I’ve ever gotten a hard-​on from a croissant before, but somehow Epi managed to do just that.
I devoured one of their chocolate almond croissants like it was the first thing I had eaten in weeks. I was worried that the almond would be overpowering but to my surprise it was balanced quite nicely with the chocolate. It was flaky on the outside and soft and buttery on the inside.
I also got a loaf of bread to take home. They slice the bread a little thin for my liking but once I got home and tasted it I was happy about the thin slices. I wanted this soft, spongy baked wet dream to last all week.
The only notch I would take out of Epi is their customer service. The staff were quite busy loading the shelves with orgasmic baked goods and seemed to ignore the customers. Even just a «I’ll be with you in a second» would have been nice. Once they did help me they were very friendly and quick.
Their location is quite large for a bakery. They have a seating area so you can enjoy one of their gargantuan sandwiches on a lazy Sunday afternoon. There is a little bit of seating outside, but not much.
Bottom line: You need to drop whatever you’re doing right now and go to Epi.

4.5 stars… with definite possibility of going to 5 with return visits.
The croissant — nice sturdy shell on the outside; chewy, buttery and crispy on the inside… I rank it #2 behind Pain Perdu but I will concede that is more a subjective matter of taste than objective quality. I need to conduct a taste test (eg. consume both one after the other) to confirm the better of the two.
Other matters:
— Bright airy space, not a lot of seating though.
— If I was in the area for lunch would definitely try the roasted lamb sandwich.
— Many of the prices points are pretty reasonable given the quality.
— Open at 7 am every day, like a good bakery should be.

I stopped into Epi breads this past weekend. Wow, they have a lot more than croissants. I also ordered a delicious whole grain fruit and nut bread along with my croissants. As I was checking out I asked her about the brioches — and so she gave me 3 free brioches to taste (which were gobbled up immediately in the car on the way home between me and my husband. If it’s free then is it also calorie free?).
Yummy yummy baked goods, nice atmosphere, and GREAT customer service? Count me in! It is pricey tho — my half a dozen croissants, nut and fruit loaf, and fresh squeezed OJ came out to $ 26!!!

one word… MMMM! Epi breads are fresh, tasty and filled with goodness! Their sandwiches are also delicious (especially the tuna!) and they have some nice window-​side seating where you can enjoy a quick (or leisurely) lunch! I visit here when I’m in the mood for a treat and have never been disappointed. The smell alone will make your day better!

to be fair ive given this 4 stars only because ive never been to their bakery. then why is he writing the review you say? well ive had their breads — at least 3 or 4 kinds — the sourdough, the sourdough with cheese, the rosemary and olive and the spelt — all from the leslieville cheese market which carries their breads and i believe gets them delivered each day. (and if not, if theyre a day old then its an even better review, considering the fact that theyre awesome.)
my favorite is without a doubt the sourdough with cheese (which is think is organic). i think they lay slices of cheese over the bread itself, so you can actually rip off a piece of the crispy melted cheese that hangs off the end
(and if youre smart, dip it in one of leslievilles homemade cheese dips — thats double cheese baby.)
the bread stays fresh for long, its not too thick, its fluffy and tasty. best that ive tried in my neighbourhood hands down.